The Architects of Astros’ Success: Best Managers & GMs in Franchise History

Generations shape the way we remember greatness. I’ve written about all-time Astros legends before, but perspectives change. Once upon a time, names like Larry Dierker, Bill Virdon, and Phil Garner were the gold standard for Astros managers. Now, we’ve seen A.J. Hinch and Dusty Baker redefine success.

The same goes for the front office. Tal Smith and Gerry Hunsicker built strong teams, but Jeff Luhnow turned the Astros into a powerhouse—scandal and all. Of course, not every GM move was a home run, and not every manager left the dugout as a fan favorite.

So, in addition to ranking the best managers and GMs, we’re throwing in a little extra: the worst to ever hold those jobs in Houston. Because for every championship-winning mastermind, there’s a Tim Purpura who inherited a Cadillac and drove it straight into a ditch.

Let the debate begin!

Top 5 Managers in Astros History

1. A.J. Hinch (2015-2019)

✅ Record: 481-329 (.594)
✅ Achievements:

  • 2017 World Series Champion (first in franchise history)
  • Led Astros to a franchise-record 107 wins in 2019
  • Four playoff appearances (2015, 2017-2019)
  • Might still be manager if not for the next line…
    ⚠️ The 2017 sign-stealing scandal casts a shadow, but his impact is undeniable.

2️. Dusty Baker (2020-2023)

✅ Record: 320-226 (.586)
✅ Achievements:

  • 2022 World Series Champion
  • Four straight ALCS appearances (2020-2023), two World Series trips
  • Stabilized the franchise post-scandal
    ? One of the most respected managers in baseball history.

3️. Bill Virdon (1975-1982)

✅ Record: 544-522 (.510)
✅ Achievements:

  • First Astros manager to win a division title (1980)
  • Longest-tenured manager in team history and most wins
  • Developed young stars like J.R. Richard and César Cedeño

4️. Larry Dierker (1997-2001)

✅ Record: 435-348 (.556)
✅ Achievements:

  • Four division titles in five years (1997-1999, 2001)
  • Former Astros pitcher turned successful manager
    ? Winningest Astros manager by percentage (.556).

5️. Phil Garner (2004-2007)

✅ Record: 277-252 (.524)
✅ Achievements:

  • Led the Astros to their first-ever World Series (2005)
  • Engineered a legendary mid-season turnaround in ‘05
    ? A fiery Houston native who brought passion to the dugout.

Honorable Mentions:

  • Art Howe (1989-1993): Developed young talent before success arrived.
  • Leo Durocher (1972-1973): Hall of Famer, but a brief tenure in Houston.

? Worst Manager in Astros History

? Brad Mills (2010-2012)

✅ Record: 171-274 (.384)
✅ Why He’s the Worst:

  • Managed during the worst stretch in Astros history (including a 56-106 season in 2011).
  • Showed little ability to develop young talent or establish a winning culture.
  • Fired midway through 2012 with the team at 36-52—they still got worse after he left.
    ? Yes, the roster was terrible, but Mills never seemed to inspire confidence as a leader.

Honorable Mention: Harry Walker (1968-1972) – Clashed with star players, including Joe Morgan, who was later traded (ouch).

Top 4 General Managers in Astros History

1️. Jeff Luhnow (2011-2020)

✅ Achievements:

  • Architect of the Astros’ golden era (2017-2020)
  • Built a farm system powerhouse, leading to long-term success
  • Key acquisitions: Correa, Springer, Bregman, Verlander, Cole, Alvarez
    ? 2017 & 2019 AL Pennants, 2017 World Series Champion
    ⚠️ His tenure ended in scandal, but his impact is undeniable.

2️. Gerry Hunsicker (1995-2004)

✅ Achievements:

  • Built the Killer B’s era teams (Bagwell, Biggio, Berkman, Oswalt)
  • Five playoff appearances
  • Acquired Roger Clemens & Andy Pettitte, laying the foundation for the 2005 pennant

3️. James Click (2020-2022)

✅ Achievements:

  • Took over post-scandal and kept the team elite
  • 2022 World Series Champion
  • Key moves: Signed Cristian Javier & extended Yordan Álvarez
    ? His firing after a World Series win was a shock, but his work speaks for itself.

4️. Tal Smith (Multiple Stints: 1973-1975, 1976-1980, 1994-2000 as President)

✅ Achievements:

  • A front-office figure in multiple Astros eras
  • Helped build the 1980 & 1986 playoff teams
    ? An underrated architect of Houston baseball history.

Honorable Mention:

  • Ed Wade (2007-2011): Drafted Altuve, Keuchel, and Springer before Luhnow took over.

? Worst GM in Astros History

? Tim Purpura (2004-2007)

✅ Why He’s the Worst:

  • Took over right after the Astros’ first-ever World Series appearance in 2005… and promptly drove the team into the ground.
  • Took a Cadillac and somehow turned it into a clunker!
  • Lost key players (Jeff Kent, Andy Pettitte, Roger Clemens) with little return.
  • Botched trade decisions, including giving away Willy Taveras & Jason Hirsh for Jason Jennings (a complete bust).
  • Left the farm system in shambles, setting the stage for a long rebuild.
    ? Inherited a contender, turned them into a disaster, and got fired after a 73-89 season in 2007.

Honorable Mention: Spec Richardson (1967-1975) – Traded away Joe Morgan, César Cedeño, and others for almost nothing.

Final Thoughts

The managers and general managers on this list weren’t just decision-makers—they were the driving forces behind Houston’s transformation from expansion team to perennial contender. Some were visionaries, others were motivators, and a few were both.

Every Astros fan has their favorites, but one thing is clear: these are the men who built the Astros into a franchise of excellence and resilience.

Who’s your pick for the greatest Astros leader of all time? Let the debate begin! ⚾?

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18 responses to “The Architects of Astros’ Success: Best Managers & GMs in Franchise History”

  1. Good list, I would swap Virdron and Dierker because Larry won more division titles. I would also list Bagwell, Biggio and Jackson under worst GMs.

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  3. My top 3 Managers would be 1. Dierker 2. Baker 3. Hinch. I think Dierker did more with less. Baker and Hicnh had teams that were loaded with talent. Hinch had the best winning %, but I put him lower for allowing “it” to go on.

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  4. Hard to compare most of these guys, they all walked into different circumstances with different expectations of what they needed to do.

    Of course I always lean on Luhnow being the most critical member of the Houston Astro organization ever, but Biggio, Bagwell, and Altuve all have their places in that argument. But I also think a lot of GMs wished they had the proverbial reset button with an owner who agreed that he wouldn’t be fired for having the worst 3 year run in franchise history because the focus isn’t on attendance and money and TV right now, the focus is, as SI once told us, 2017. Not very many GMs are ever given that much freedom.

    As for managers, it’s funny how a roster that included players like Verlander, Cole, Springer, Correa, Altuve, Bregman, Morton, Reddick – these guys could make me look like a genius too. And when your roster is an oft injured, aging Oswalt and Berkman with Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence, and barely a pitcher anyone even remembers, you stink, is also not surprising. Managers are often the victim of circumstances.

    I’m more interested in this Cam Smith sensation. I try and not get too caught up in 21 plate appearances, so I went and looked at his at bats online, and the guy looks like he has a legitimate major league swing. Also take into consideration, yes, VERY short sample against what is basically AA and AAA pitching he is seeing early, but he doesn’t strike out a lot and he is drawing walks. That right there will make me fall in love faster than a card and flowers. He is 22, if he is ready, he is ready. Make him the opening day 3B, or if you think Rodgers is a better answer than Chas (I do not, but hey, my name is not Joe), than yea get him out in RF.

    I almost feel like this push to keep Paredes at 3B is as much about 2B being available with guys you don’t mind sitting when Alvarez is in LF so Jose can play 2B, versus having to find a way to push Paredes somewhere else on those days.

    They have a lot of interesting possibilities.

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  5. The only way to stop Cam Smith was to announce he had a way to the opening roster thru RF….(he had to cool off some time)

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  7. We talked about ranking Astro players last week. I feel pretty much the same about managers and management. I never have compared one to another. To me, the end result is the only important issue, and that’s a team effort. I should add that integrity is important to me. Leadership allowed us to fail that test. And as Steven alluded to above, Hinch and Dusty Baker both had a whole lot of talent to work with.

    I still have an issue with Hinch though. He was spineless. I still have a problem with Luhnow. I don’t accept that he did not know what was going on during the cheating period. But damn, had he and Hinch simply let their players play and not be influenced by Cora and Beltran, we’d arguably have had stronger teams over the last couple of years, and today too.

    But the intent of this post today, and thank you Chip, was not to have me rant. I’ll add though that I would have liked to see James Click remain our GM after the World Series win in 2022. The fish stinks from the head down. And management sure screwed up in the winter of 2022-2023. So in spite of our mostly self inflicted wounds, it’s somewhat remarkable our club is very much alive and breathing.

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  8. We talked about ranking Astro players last week. I feel pretty much the same about managers and management. I never have compared one to another. To me, the end result is the only important issue, and that’s a team effort. I should add that integrity is important to me. Leadership allowed us to fail that test. And as Steven alluded to above, Hinch and Dusty Baker both had a whole lot of talent to work with.

    I still have an issue with Hinch though. He was spineless. I still have a problem with Luhnow. I don’t accept that he did not know what was going on during the cheating period. But damn, had he and Hinch simply let their players play and not be influenced by Cora and Beltran, we’d arguably have had stronger teams over the last couple of years, and today too.

    But the intent of this post today, and thank you Chip, was not to have me rant. I’ll add though that I would have liked to see James Click remain our GM after the World Series win in 2022. The fish stinks from the head down. And management sure screwed up in the winter of 2022-2023. So in spite of our mostly self inflicted wounds, it’s somewhat remarkable our club is very much alive and breathing.

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  12. I’m glad you didn’t have Cecil Cooper or Bo Porter listed in the worst manager position. Cooper actually went 171-170 for some pretty mediocre teams. Bo Porter drew the unenviable task of managing a team that Luhnow and Crane wanted to lose and it showed in his record – 110-190. He’s a really solid guy and didn’t deserve that kind of punishment.

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  13. Forrest Whitley out with a bruised knee. Perhaps this is unfair, but I’ve not been impressed with the guy from the beginning, almost a decade ago.

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